Adolesence Psychology Essay

The most critical stage in a life of a person is in the period of adolesence.   It is a specifically turbulent as well as a dynamic period of any person’s life. It is also a period of â€Å"strorm and stress† characterized by moodiness, inner tormoil and rebellion.   This is a period of transision from childhood to adulthood.   This transition involves biological,   social, and psychological changes, though the biological ones are the easiest to measure objectively.†Adolescence† is a modern cultural and social phenomenon and therefore its endpoints are not easily tied to physical milestones . The time is identified with dramatic changes in the body, along with developments in a person’s psychology and academic career. In the onset of adolescence, children usually complete elementary school and enter secondary education, such as middle school or high school. During this period, the young develops to sexual maturity and establishes an identity as an individual.   Their   sense   of identity develops gradually out of the various identification of childhood. The adolescent is newly concerned with how they appear to others. Ego identity is the accrued confidence that the inner sameness and continuity prepared in the past are matched by the sameness and continuity of one’s meaning for others, as evidenced in the promise of a career. The inability to settle on a school or occupational identity is disturbing. A major task confronting the adolescent is to develop a sense of individual identity, to find answers to the questions â€Å"Who am I† and â€Å"where am I going† .   The process also involves feelings about self-worth and competence.   Although development   of sel-concept starts in early childhood and continues throughout the lifespan. Searching of the unique identity is one of the problems that adolesence often face.   Some, but not all, teenager often challenge the authority or the rules as a way to establish their individuality.   There is also a probability of drugs and alcohol use, or mental health disorder, eating disorders and depression. Historically this stage of development began much later, sometime between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, which allowed the child to mentally and emotionally mature more and brought them closer to the age of consent before reaching this physical and emotionally challenging Physical maturation resulting from puberty leads to an interest in sexual activities  Ã‚   sometimes leading to teenage pregnancy.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since teens may not be emotionally or mentally mature enough or financially able to support children, sexual activity among adolescents is problematic. Given the emotional immaturity of adolescents, many countries consider those under a certain age to be too young to engage in and other sexual activities, even if they are physiologically capable. Family conflict is more common during adolesence than during other period of development.   Puberty appears to play a central role in initiating this conflict.   Adolesence of both sexes have significantly more conflicts with their mothers than with their fathers.   Probably because mothers are more involve in regulating the everyday details of family life.   Parents are often torn between the necessity of maintaining the family system and allowing their child increasing jurisdiction over his or her behavior.   Childhood even with intact families is never troubled free.   The fact that the most important emotionla structure in the childhood’s life is the parents’ marriage.   Ends in failure becomes forever embeded in that child’s history. It can not be denied that fathers are very important in the family.   Without a father there is no family.   The absence of the father maybe associated with some undesirable behavior of the children.   Among wihich are poor school performance,poor relationships with peer, problems with impulse control, rebellious and other adjustment difficulties. It is like the case of a 16 year old girl whose parents are divorce.   She displayed undesirable behavior like rebellious, trouble in school and she desires male attention.   Adolesence are in the process of affirming up their identity.   They need both parents   to affirm them in developing womanliness and how to relate to other people of the opposite sex. Childhood, even with intact families is never troubled-free.   The fact that the most important emotional structure in the child’s life is the parents’ marriage – ends in failure becomes forever embeded in that child’s history.   Being a child of devorce,   there is a need of several therapy.   A joint therapy of parents is also needed to understand the need to work together for the children. In order to pass from childhood to adulthood the adolesence must solve a number of problems.   He must develop heterosexual interest, become free from home supervision, make new emotional and social adjustments to reality.   They should evolve a philosophy of life, achieve economic and intellectual independence and learn how to use their leisure time profitably.   If they fail of these any achievements, he fails to gain full maturity.   Because adolesence are caught between two worlds, one of the dependence, the other of the responsibility.   They would like the power to decide for themselves, but are not certain they want to increased responsibility that accompanies adulthood.

Difficult Relationships Between Adults And Children Essay

In many of the stories, the writers describe difficult relationships between adults and children. Compare the relationships that the writers present to the reader in two stories and explore the ways the relationships between the adults and children change as the stories develop. In this essay, I will be exploring the relationships between adults and children in â€Å"Flight† and â€Å"Your Shoes†. It seems to me that both stories have children and adults that are in similar positions. The content and style of the stories are similar in some ways and different in other ways. For example, the main problem in both stories is the daughter leaving home for the first time. Another example of a difference is â€Å"Flight† is written in third-person whereas â€Å"Your Shoes† is not. â€Å"Your Shoes† is a story told from the perspective of a mother who has suffered a great loss, as her daughter has run away. She seems to be forced to realise that she is very upset with aspects of her life. The mother is writing a letter to her daughter describing all the unhappy things that have happened to her. For example, her childhood and details of her marriage. All this seems to stem from the fact that her mother has recently died. â€Å"Flight† is a story about leaving home and becoming independent. The story tells of an old man who keeps birds and seems to be very protective of his last granddaughter. He has seen his other granddaughters leave home, marry, and grow up. He seems to be slightly jealous of Steven who is Alice’s boyfriend. In the story, the birds seem to symbolise the granddaughter. This also could be interpreted as the birds symbolising how the grandfather would like the granddaughter to be like. In the end, the grandfather lets the granddaughter go and this is symbolised in the release of his favourite pigeon. It seems to me that the relationship in â€Å"Flight† between Alice and her grandfather is quite close. I think this because both seem to have a mutual understanding of each other. One example of this would be Steven giving a pigeon to the grandfather. I think this is the case, as I don’t think Steven would have given a bird to the granddad on his own accord. Therefore, this would mean Alice thoughtfully made Steven give the bird to show the granddad that he could look after the bird instead of her. â€Å"Your shoes† is quite different. The author of â€Å"Your shoes† has developed the mothers character in such a way the reader can get a real good insight in what the mother is thinking. This gives us much more detail then anything we got from the Grandfather in â€Å"Flight†. The mother seems to the reader frustrated that people don’t act in the â€Å"proper† way. In the end the mother is left holding her daughters shoes as if they were her substitute. This is quite an extreme from the reaction the grandfather took as he was able to let her daughter take â€Å"flight†. During both stories, the relationships between the adults and the children all seem to mature for better or worse. In â€Å"flight† the relationship between Alice and her Granddad all changes when Steven presents a pigeon to the granddad. The Granddad seems get a revelation and changes his view on the relationship between Steven and Alice. He accepts the fact that his little granddaughter has grown up. This is symbolised in him releasing his favourite pigeon. In â€Å"Your Shoes† we can not see the relationship at first hand but from the detailed insights from the mother we can assume a lot of things. I think that the relationship between mother and daughter was never very strong. Firstly, the daughter who was very fond of her grandmother had died. The mother detested her own mother and we assume that it must have hurt that her daughter preferred her Grandmother to herself. Then finally the daughter running away seems to symbolise there whole relationship. This is quite somewhat different from â€Å"Flight† as mother in â€Å"Your Shoes† seems to go mad, in the end sucking on her daughters shoelaces. In conclusion, both stories seem to have similar relationships at the starting of the story as the children want to grow up. Then both relationships shoot off in different directions, as the mother in â€Å"Your shoes† was unable to let go while the Grandfather in â€Å"Flight† let his granddaughter free.

Biomedical And Biopsychosocial Models

Biomedical And Biopsychosocial Models Health may be defined as ‘the absence of disease and infirmary’ (Stroebe, 2000) or alternatively ‘not merely an absence of disease or infirmary but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being (World Health Organisation, 1948). One definition more elaborate than the other, the latter suggesting health is effected by other factors that cannot be physically measured. Since the start of evolution people have looked back to try to explain and understand the factors that influence human functions in relation to health and illness. Many theorists developed perspectives and models of health in order to show health professionals how to promote and improve health in society (Wade although evidence was limited it built the ground work for interesting studies that would link personality to disease (Morrisson & Bennett, 2006). Convincingly, today, it is thought two-thirds of our behaviour can be linked to our health (Morrisson & Bennet, 2006). The biopsychosoci al model is both objective and subjective in its application. With this, a humanistic approach can be taken and it is thought that behaviour disorders appear when self-actualisation is blocked. The dietitian using this model would look at a person’s lifestyle, and social and cultural factors that affect the individual’s health behaviour. Reasons behind this behaviour can be established and methods for changing it to improve health can be established.

The expectations of English colonists in Chesapeake and New England Essay

The expectations of English colonists in Chesapeake and New England - Essay Example Immediately after entering in 1607 the muddy outposts the English colonists referred to as Jamestown, Smith observed the inappropriateness of the orders given by the pioneers of the colony with the pressures of survival and endurance on the Anglo-American border. The Native American lands which the British colonists inhabited had corn, while the settlers gave in quickly to diseases as the quantity of their foods declined. Smith eventually initiated a strategy of threats and forced trade. In a matter of weeks Smith had forced from the chiefdom of Powhatan large quantities of corn. As Smith paraded all over the Chesapeake, he became a vicious onlooker of the Algonquian tribes he wanted to conquer. Already fascinated in the richness of human cultures, prior to his entrance to Virginia he had stumbled upon a diversity of peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The biographers of Smith claim that his encounters with different human cultures put him in a good position to understand Indian culture and the native people than any other of his contemporaries. Hence, this essay will use the perspective of Captain John Smith to discuss the initial expectations of the English colonists with Chesapeake and New England and how they lived among the Native American Indians.... The forcefulness of the English border population devastated as well as the agenda of George Thorpe to acculturate and civilize the Powhatan Indians into a Christian and English New World realm. The demands of the border population generated the 1622 Indian rebellion, which hampered the development of the colony, sped up the collapse of the Virginia Company of London, and compelled elites to reject any idea of humanitarian Indian strategy. In defending the missionary attempts, the pioneers of the company dealt with the issue of the right of Englishmen to Indian lands. Some English scholars compared the Native American Indians to wild beasts who do not know private ownership. A report of the Virginia Company claimed that it is not illegal or immoral to take over the land of the Indians and inhabit them because there is no other reasonable alternative to discuss this matter with the natives but through coercion. The Virginia Company never reached, nor did it try, an ultimate resolution to the issue of aboriginal title. Only invasion, the pioneers argued, could not rationalize occupation of the Indian soil. Rather, the Company was predisposed to consider English occupation as an ‘irreversible deed’ and to defend its continuance on the basis that the Indians would give in to Christianity and dealt with compassionately. The process of conversion could, and ought to be, diplomatic. While the Spaniards invaded the West Indies with bloodshed and brutality, the English would employ humane and benevolent means, appropriate to the natural character of the English. An expectation that the Indians would willingly dispose of their own cultural

Efficient Market Hypothesis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Efficient Market Hypothesis - Assignment Example Among the foremost to apply digital computers to perform empirical research in the field of finance, Fama operationally defined the EMH by pointing structure on several information sets accessible to market players. The efficient-market hypothesis necessitates that the agents should expect rationally that on average the overall population is correct (although if no individual is) and each time new pertinent information comes out, the agents should update their anticipations appropriately. Moreover, agents are not needed to be rational. EMH permits that on facing novel information, some investors may under react while some, on the other hand may over react. But, they are necessitated by EMH to react in a random manner that follows standard normal distribution. So, the overall impact on market prices may not be constantly exploited to attain more than usual profit, particularly, while keeping into consideration the transaction costs (including spreads and commissions). Therefore, any i ndividual may be perceived to be incorrect regarding the market but, market, on the contrary, as a whole is considered to be always correct. Three levels of hypothesis The efficient market hypothesis can be commonly stated in three basic forms. These include weak-form, semi-strong form and strong form efficiency. Each of these provides distinct implications for the way market performs. Weak-Form Efficiency This form of EMH specifies that current prices of assets reflect past volume and price information. The information incorporated in the past series of a security’s prices is completely reflected in its present market price. It is called as weak because the market price is the most accessible information available to individuals and the utilization of technical analysis is forbidden by this form of EMH. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency This form submits that entire available information to the public is incorporated into the prices of asset. Thus the market price of that asset is a complete reflection of all information accessible to the public. This publicly known information includes the past prices as well as the data reported by the company in its financial statements, announcement along with economic and other factors. The Strong-Form Efficiency This form implies that along with the publicly available information, the insider or private information is also reflected in an asset’s market price. Thus, such a market restricts the inside organization members from gaining unusual returns. Thus, all forms of EMH restrict individuals from attaining unusual returns due to unavailability of information and inhibit the possibility of arbitrage or risk free profit (Fama, 1991). Firm’s pricing of debt and equity decisions and EMH The 2007-2012 financial disaster has contributed to renewed criticism and scrutiny of the efficient market hypothesis. It has been even dismissed as being an ineffective way to study the functioning of financial markets in reality by various economists and financial analysts. Critics have proposed that corporations and financial institutions have the

Community college budget cut Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Community college budget cut - Research Paper Example Other than reducing student enrollment, some institutions have been forced to limit the number of programs they are offering due to the budget cuts. Laying-off of workers has been reported in some institutions because the institution can no longer sustain them. This phenomenon is evident in states that fund their institutions of higher learning. The paper will explore community college and state university budget cut, and how this political issue will affect the government and the people of the United States, now and in the future. In her article, â€Å"State Colleges Forced to Limit Programs,† Laurie Beth Harris asserts that the state colleges will be forced to limit their programs due to the budget cuts. The author begins by stating that the demand for jobs in the fields of health care and engineering has continued to expand. However, states such as Texas, Florida, and New York have abolished programs at the public universities in subjects like engineering and computer science. The elimination of these programs is attributed to the budget cuts. Apart from elimination of the entire programs, the schools have been incapable of expanding popular programs to meet the demand of the students. For instance, in Raleigh North Carolina, Wake Technical Community College has seen its enrolment expand by approximately 30% in the previous three years and at the same time getting budget cuts from the state of approximately 21% (Harris 1). The community college is popular for its nursing program, which is limited to 275 students; however, there are close to 1000 individuals waiting to be enrolled into the program. This has forced Wake Tech to develop a waiting list for the nursing program. While some students are waiting to be enrolled into the nursing program, others are positioned in a prenursing program. With the limited spots (275 individuals) for the nursing program, stakes

Three stories of Franz Kafka, featuring the theme of isolation and Essay

Three stories of Franz Kafka, featuring the theme of isolation and social laws including Before The Law, excluding Metamorphisis - Essay Example Franz Kafka’s parable Before the Law is an enigmatic contemplation of a man and his relation to social laws and the isolation he faces throughout his existence. The story explains the life of a man who attempts to gain admittance to a pathway referred to as the Law. When the man confronts the doorkeeper about admittance, the doorkeeper responds that he cannot admit him now, but possibly at a later date he will be allowed to pass. The man looks inside of the path and the doorkeeper witnesses him doing so and says to him that he may attempt to enter despite his wishes but that there are many more doorkeepers ahead, the third of which the original doorkeeper believes is so hideous he can’t even look at. The man resigns himself to his current situation and pulls up a stool and sits on it in anticipation of being admitted into the pathway. As the years pass the man gives everything to the doorkeeper attempting to bribe him, but is consistently rebuffed in his attempts to be granted admittance to the pathway. Finally, as the man is about to die, he asks the doorkeeper why other people haven’t attempted to gain admittance to the pathway and the doorkeeper responds, â€Å"No one else could ever be admitted here, since this gate was made only for you. I am going to shut it (p. 3).† While the exact definition of what the Law constitutes in this story is vague, one can assume that it represents some form of society or level of existence that the man has been attempting to gain admittance to. In this regard, it represents the life the man wants but cannot attain because of restraining social laws. However hard the man tries to advance his life and existence, he is constantly faced with the inevitable conclusion that he is stuck in his current position. Ultimately, the story is a meditation on the absurdity of existence and the isolation it entails. Not only is the man unable to gain admittance into the doorway, but he must wait in isolation throughout his entire

Critically discuss the view that anti-globalisation arguments Essay - 3

Critically discuss the view that anti-globalisation arguments seriously undervalue the benefits that globalisation has delivered for all countries 01153 - Essay Example However, issues such as the global financial crisis and unethical practices of GlaxoSmithKline are unintended effects of globalisation. These occurrences are all caused by unethical human practices and therefore they do not provide substantial evidence that questions the benefits provided by globalisation (Benyon and Dunkerley, 2000). Financial crisis was mainly triggered by an uncontrolled greed for profit of various businessmen who aided several unethical practices that includes accounts manipulation, complex product development and illicit trading. 6 Globalization indicates the opportunity of nationalistic and local perspectives towards a broader view of an interdependent and interconnected world with open transfer of goods, capital, and services athwart national frontiers. It defines the way people and countries interrelate and integrate (Mahajan, 2006). Globalization includes many sections and can be cultural, political, and economic. Political globalization is termed as how nations and institutions influence the entire world. Economic globalization is referred to how nations are coming collectively as one immense global economy. Cultural globalization is referred to how customs is becoming uniform, which implies that people across the world perform in a similar manner (Mott, 2004). Anti-globalization is defined as a movement to oppose the globalization’s trend and its unsafe effect, as well as to reorganize unbridled capitalism. The movement of anti-globalization places focus more on human decency and economic efficien cy versus profits and corporate competition at any price (Held and McGrew, 2007). This paper will examine how arguments of anti-globalization gravely undervalue the benefits that globalization has delivered for all countries. Some of the economists argue that globalization is considered as positive development because it will increase employment opportunities as well as develop new industries in the emerging countries.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 29

Leadership - Essay Example In turn, the followers are able to connect effectively with their leader without fear of any punitive measures against them. In this leadership model, a leader should be able to enhance positive change among his followers. It focuses on the personality of the leader instead of the actions of the same leader. To effect change and impart it among individuals requires a lot of assertiveness which is a must trait that a leader should posses if not learn. The film depicts Coach Carter as having idealized influence over his followers, which is simply the trust people have in him. Transformational leadership as seen in the film builds and maintains mutual trust between follower and the leader. Further, Carter has given his followers more autonomy and voice in making decision concerning them. This makes them feel important since they know that their leader cares about them. This builds a harmonious relationship between employees and top management (Bass 36-38). In order to create an atmosphere of trust, the leader can give workers more autonomy, interact with them and create a situation of idealized influence eliminate misconceptions about their relationship with the management. Transformational leadership facilitates and redefines people’s vision and mission. It also renews people’s commitment and restructures their systems to accomplish a certain goal. Thus, a mutual relationship stimulates and elevates follower to become leaders. In addition, it may also convert leaders to become moral agents. Transformational leadership should therefore be grounded on moral foundations. As seen in the film Coach Carter posses this qualities since he advocates for things that would lead to attainment of the people’s mission and vision. Transformational leadership has been renowned for fostering capacity development to bring higher personal level of commitment among

Case Study and Assignment (easy work) Research Paper

Case Study and Assignment (easy work) - Research Paper Example By the end of 2011, the Kenyan Shilling had experienced a major fall from trading to a cost of 80.09 to 110.12 to the Dollar. This depreciation affected negatively on savings and investments. Kenyan people are concentrating on food stuffs more which were on the rise since man cannot live without food. However, Central Bank of Kenya tried to raise interest rates to tackle the devaluation of the Shilling and inflation. The governor was put on notice regarding the sharp fall of the currency but no critical answer was given by him. Kenya is to hold elections in 2012, so devaluation of the Shilling was directly and indirectly involved. Big fish in the political arena were assumed to best benefit from the high exchange rate by selling off the amount of dollars that one was possessing, thus campaign money availability to them. That is an indirect involvement. Central Bank reaction was a bit slow since they believed it was an external force which was hitting the Shilling. Noticing that speculative effects were also coming in, and external sources were neither slowing down, it reacted by its governor stating that he was determined to see exchange rates being propelled by the market. Generally the Shillings confidence would be undermined if decisive action was to be taken against external forces. In regards to this, the exporters are the major beneficial of this happening while importers cry foul. Also the risk takers of foreign currency loans had a bad financial end year. Central Bank was indeed, able to control th e Shilling due to its application of banking principles on top of its objectives. While banks form a major backbone to any country, the Central Bank is the overall boss. Incompetence projected by some of the individuals who run them sees political interference, which indeed, is a major setback in the banking sector of any

The Life and History of Jesse Stuart Essay Example for Free

The Life and History of Jesse Stuart Essay Jesse Stuart (1907— ) was the son of an illiterate tenant farmer from eastern Kentucky. Jesse Stuart had little formal education as a child. When he finally managed to attend high school, and then college, he discovered that he had a talent for writing. He has pursued a successful career as a writer, at the same time serving as a teacher and administrator in southern schools. In addition to short stories, Stuart has written poetry, novels, an autobiography (The Thread that Runs So True, 1958) and a biography of his father (Gods Oddling, 1960). It was from his father, that the author gained his great love of nature and appreciation individuality. LOVE Yesterday when the bright sun blazed down on the wilted corn my father and I walked around the edge of the new ground to plan a fence. The cows kept coming through the chestnut oaks on the cliff and running over the young corn. They bit off the tips of the corn and trampled down the stubble. My father walked in the cornbalk. Bob, our Collie, walked in front of my father. We heard a ground squirrel whistle down over the bluff among the dead treetops at the clearings edge. Whoop, take him, Bob, said my father. He lifted up a young stalk of corn, with wilted dried roots, where the ground squirrel had dug it up for the sweet grain of corn left on its tender roots. This has been a dry spring and the corn has kept well in the earth where the grain has sprouted. The ground squirrels love this corn. They dig up rows of it and eat the sweet grains. The young corn stalks are killed and we have to replant the corn. I can see my father keep sicking Bob after the ground squirrel. He jumped over the corn rows. He started to run toward the ground squirrel. I, too, started running toward the clearings edge where Bob was jumping and barking. The dust flew in tiny swirls behind our feet. There was a cloud of dust behind us. Its a big bull blacksnake, said my father. Kill him, Bob! Kill him, Bob! Bob was jumping and snapping at the snake so as to make it strike and throw itself off guard. Bob had killed twenty-eight copperheads this spring. He knows how to kill a snake. He doesnt rush to do it. He takes his time and does the job well. Lets dont kill the snake, I said. A blacksnake is a harmless snake. It kills poison snakes. It kills the copperhead. It catches more mice from the fields than a cat. I could see the snake didnt want to fight the dog. The snake wanted to get away. Bob wouldnt let it. I wondered why it was crawling toward a heap of black loamy earth at the bench of the hill. I wondered why it had come from the chestnut oak sprouts and the matted greenbriars on the cliff. I looked as the snake lifted its pretty head in response to one of Bobs jumps. Its not a bull blacksnake, I said. Its a she-snake. Look at the white on her throat. A snake is an enemy to me, my father snapped. I hate a snake. Kill it, Bob. Go in there and get that snake and quit playing with it! Bob obeyed my father. I hated to see him take this snake by the throat. She was so beautifully poised in the sunlight. Bob grabbed the white patch on her throat. He cracked her long body like an ox whip in the wind. He cracked it against the wind only. The blood spurted from her fine-curved throat. Something hit against my legs like pellets. Bob threw the snake down. I looked to see what had struck my legs. It was snake eggs. Bob had slung them from her body. She was going to the sand heap to lay her eggs, where the sun is the setting-hen that warms them and hatches them. Bob grabbed her body there on the earth where the red blood was running down on the gray-piled loam. Her body was still writhing in pain. She acted like a greenweed held over a new-ground fire. Bob slung her viciously many times. He cracked her limp body against the wind. She was now limber as a shoestring in the wind. Bob threw her riddled body back on the sand. She quivered like a leaf in the lazy wind, then her riddled body lay perfectly still. The blood colored the loamy earth around the snake. Look at the eggs, wont you? said my father. We counted thirty-seven eggs. I picked an egg up and held it in my hand. Only a minute ago there was life in it. It was an immature seed. It would not hatch. Mother sun could not incubate it on the warm earth. The egg I held in my hand was almost the size of a quails egg. The shell on it was thin and tough and the egg appeared under the surface to be a watery egg. Well, Bob, I guess you see now why this snake couldnt fight, I said, It is life. Stronger devour the weaker even among human beings. Dog kills snake. Snake kills birds. Birds kill the butterflies. Man conquers all. Man, too, kills for sport. Bob was panting. He walked ahead of us back to the house. His tongue was out of his mouth. He was tired. He was hot under his shaggy coat of hair. His tongue nearly touched the dry dirt and white flecks of foam dripped from it. We walked toward the house. Neither my father nor I spoke. I still thought about the dead snake. The sun was going down over the chestnut ridge. A lark was singing. It was late for a lark to sing. The red evening clouds floated above the pine trees on our pasture hill. My father stood beside the path. His black hair was moved by the wind. His face was red in the blue wind of day. His eyes looked toward the sinking sun. And my father hates a snake, I thought. I thought about the agony women know of giving birth. I thought about how they will fight to save their children. Then, I thought of the snake. I thought it was silly for me to think such thoughts. This morning my father and I got up with the chickens. He says one has to get up with the chickens to do a days work. We got the posthole digger, ax, spud, measuring pole and the mattock. We started for the clearings edge. Bob didnt go along. The dew was on the corn. My father walked behind with the posthole digger across his shoulder. I walked in front. The wind was blowing. It was a good morning wind to breathe and a wind that makes one feel like he can get under the edge of a hill and heave the whole hill upside down. I walked out the corn row where we had come yesterday afternoon. I looked in front of me. I saw something. I saw it move. It was moving like a huge black rope winds around a windlass. Steady, I says to my father. Here is the bull blacksnake. He took one step up beside me and stood. His eyes grew wide apart. What do you know about this, he said. You have seen the bull blacksnake now, I said. Take a good look at him! He is lying beside his dead mate. He has come to her. He, perhaps, was on her trail yesterday. The male snake had trailed her to her doom. He had come in the night, under the roof of stars, as the moon shed rays of light on the quivering clouds of green. He had found his lover dead. He was coiled beside her, and she was dead. The bull blacksnake lifted his head and followed us as we walked around the dead snake. He would have fought us to his death. He would have fought Bob to his death. Take a stick, said my father, and throw him over the hill so Bob wont find him. Did you ever see anything to beat that? Ive heard theyd do that. But this is my first time to see it. I took a stick and threw him over the bank into the dewy sprouts on the cliff.

The Launch Of Banyan Tree Hotels Marketing Essay

The Launch Of Banyan Tree Hotels Marketing Essay BTHR first saw a gap in the luxury resort market in Phuket, and sought to tap into this market with a value proposition of a premium but affordable luxury resort. Strategic brand management was thus vital. Having targeted a niche market, Banyan Tree had the first-mover advantage amongst its competitors. But it was its consistency in delivering its brand promise that led to word-of-mouth recommendations on Banyan Tree experience spreading quickly. Also, to guarantee consistency and continuity in brand building, BTHR centralised its long-term marketing strategy and even allocated marketing budget to both its consumers and wholesalers. Likewise, BTHR made an effort to maintain good relationships with the governments and local communities, which contributed to its strong brand in Asia. Within a couple of years, BTHR was awarded numerous international awards and accolades, and it effectively capitalised on these awards and accolades to build its brand equity quickly. Valuable : With its careful brand management and consistent brand delivery to its guests, brand loyalty was created. This enabled a premium charge and made international expansion possible. Moreover, its first-mover advantage made it tough for its rivals to match its success. Rare : Being the first resort to provide a luxury accommodation with romance, intimacy, privacy and rejuvenation, it managed to differentiate itself from its competitors. Furthermore, it can be seen that BTHR has the capability to build strong customer-based brand equity, as not many of its rival firms can relate to this proposition of romance and intimacy. Costly-to-imitate : It is almost impossible to emulate BTHRs brand as numerous capabilities across the value chain contributed to its success its first-mover advantage, strategic brand image/positioning, innovative and exclusive service by Banyan staff, and extensive marketing. Non-substitutable : There is no doubt that many resorts were targeting the luxury premium market, however, none of them are perfect substitutes of Banyan Tree. Likewise, the strong brand equity and human efforts BTHR had put into building it is not easily replicable. II. Innovation Resources : Product Differentiation and High Quality Service BTHRs capacity to innovate led to its ability to create product differentiation and high quality service, which kept customers returning. It differentiated its offering by being the first in Asia to adopt the concept of a non-clinical garden spa with an oriental feel. Also, BTHR placed emphasis on the interior dà ©cor and facilities of the villas to enhance the Banyan Tree experience, with each villa having a private landscaped garden and an open-air sunken bathtub. It offers a variety of spa packages and cuisines tailored to customers likings too. Additionally, Banyan Tree staff were encouraged to give innovative and exclusive service, to make sure its guests feel that they were paid special attention. Unique product offerings such as customised weddings even included a special touch of local culture. Valuable : BTHR was successful in winning the hearts of its customers as its offers them innovative and fresh experiences. This resulted in customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising, which generated a sustainable source of revenue. Rare : Such product differentiation and customised services were only available at BTHR. Besides, the fusion of Banyan staff experience and BTHR culture adds on to its exclusivity. Costly-to-imitate : BTHRs innovations were integrations of its culture as well as staffs expertise, making it costly for competitors to duplicate them. Non-substitutable : It is difficult for competitors to replicate the high quality and customised services offered by Banyan Tree. Moreover, the endless innovations and ideas kept its guests amazed and thrilled, making the Banyan Tree experience special and non-substitutable. III. Human Resources : In-house Management Capabilities Banyan Tree sets itself apart by having strong support of in-house management capabilities. As management capabilities are in-house, BTHR could build a resort from scratch within two years. Furthermore, all those involved shared BTHRs corporate culture, were familiar with each other, enabling flexible and rapid decision making. Moreover, with in-house design capabilities, it can tailor its design according to its value proposition of romance and intimacy. To ensure efficiency, BTHR deployed pre-fabrication methods and problems were rectified quickly. Similarly, decision-making process was also hastened by the formation of the GX Group, which consisted of the key personnel and expertise required to make decisions. Besides, local staff were given the liberty to be creative in their service to ensure there was no gap between the level of service and customers expectations. This enhances staffs sense of belonging in BTHR, which explains the low attrition rate of staff. In-house trainings ensure its staff are sufficiently skilled to provide high quality services for its targeted customers too. Valuable : Having in-house management capabilities empowers BTHR with better control over its expenses and product innovations, allowing consistent delivery of its brand promise. Its ability to build a resort faster than its competitors gives it a competitive edge too. Rare : The in-house management capability enables BTHR to control every part of its project development process. This is a rare capability as most hotel owners engage external vendors. Costly-to-imitate : Due to the large outlay of capital required for its construction capabilities and resources, it would be extremely costly for its competitors to imitate. Similarly, it is almost impossible to emulate its staff trainings as they are also conducted in-house. Non-substitutable : Eventhough some of these capabilities and resources can be outsourced, it would not be as value-adding to Banyan Tree as they would lose control of management. In conclusion, the key resources supporting the development and rise of Banyan Tree are highly interdependent. Together, the resources spurred the growth of BTHR as they enabled Banyan Tree to distinguish itself from its rivals. It is also noticed that these are intangible resources as intangibles make it more difficult for competitors to analyse and imitate.

Brownfield Land Redevelopment

Brownfield Land Redevelopment Recently brownfield sites have become popular due to the serious deficiency in the number of greenfield spaces on hand for development. This is more prominent in the built up areas where the demand for residential and commercial property is elevated. In 2008 the UK set a target for brownfield developments. 60% of all new houses were to be built on brownfield sites. Records show that we have already exceeded that target and with the rate that we are reclaiming brownfield sites at present we should significantly raise that percentage over the coming decade. The uses for brownfield sites are not restricted to residential and commercial buildings. They are often considered for redevelopment into open spaces for recreation, woodland and various other community related areas. Reclaiming brownfield sites is at the heart of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy. This Development Strategy incorporates an extensive collection of economic, social and environmental objectives. Brownfield redevelopment cleans up environmental health hazards and eyesores and in doing so it promotes community growth and regeneration. Managed effectively as a sustainable redevelopment scheme, Brownfield sites provide affordable housing, encourage economic growth through locally sourced materials nurturing local business and trades, protect local wildlife and provide environmentally safe areas for families to enjoy. Furthermore, redevelopment of brownfield sites can give an area a make-over and can help send a message to the locality indicating the importance of preservation and recycling. 2.0 Brownfield Land Redevelopment Steps Now that the land has been chosen for the proposed development, a large sports centre within a small town in Scotland, it is important to establish whether or not the Brownfield site in question is suitable for such a development. The proposed site will involve the demolition of an existing building. Therefore all planning laws must be adhered to and the local planning authorities must be notified in writing outlining the intentions for the proposed site. This is important as special licences are required to reclaim Brownfield sites. There are a number of tests and studies that must be carried out in order to obtain the required information to determine the extent of the decontamination measures required to prepare the site. 2.1 Demolition and Recycling Existing Building On-Site In order to maximise the sustainability of the development it is important to identify, separate and eliminate all hazardous materials from the demolished waste. Furthermore any recyclables such as masonry rubble and other materials should be extracted from the demolition waste and can be used in the concrete / asphalt or paved areas around the site. This promotes sustainable development by contributing to the government sustainability objectives of prudent use of natural resources and protection of the environment. Using low embodied building materials reduces the CO2 emissions during the construction process and also has a positive effect on the cost of the entire project as less waste is sent to expensive landfill. There are a number of companies within the UK that specialise in construction and demolition waste recycling and disposal. These companies work closely with Site Waste Management Plans ensuring that only hazardous materials are disposed of and everything recyclable is reused. 2.2 Identification of Hazardous Materials A large number of materials are involved in any build, therefore, when a building is being demolished it is important to identify these hazardous materials and dispose of them safely so that they do not become a danger to anybody else in the future. The building on the proposed site is a 150 year old derelict masonry building. The existing building is to be demolished and any suitable recyclables are to be used in constructing the new sports centre and any concrete / asphalt or paved areas around the site. In order to identify the various materials it is important to put a sorting plan in place. This will ensure only recyclable materials get reused and all hazardous materials are disposed of appropriately. The history of the building plays a key part in the types of hazardous materials that can be expected to be found within the building. From the period the building was built a suitably qualified professional can conclude that the building shell itself will contribute various hazardous materials to the list for safe disposal. These are likely to include asbestos, insulation materials, foams containing CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) that are harmful to the O-Zone layer, roofing felts and bitumen. An engineer will also look into the space within the building to determine what hazardous materials may have been associated with the various uses of the building. The derelict building in question was originally used as a textile factory and later a furniture factory. This would indicate that hazardous materials such as varnishes, glues, sealants, resin-based floorings and wood treated with chemicals or preservatives may be present from that period of the buildings lifetime. In recent decades the building was used as a truck repair shop. This might suggest that there may be some contamination from oil or lubricants, petroleum and any spillage from car / truck batteries. It is very important to test for the presence of these substances and more as identifying the presence of hazardous material is the first step to decontaminating the site. 2.3 Further Investigation Following investigation into the building to be demolished, tests must be carried out on the condition of the soil around the site. It is important to note that all Brownfield site redevelopments come hand in hand with strict environmental issues. As a result it is recommended that an appropriately experienced environmental consultant is used. The environmental consultant will have background knowledge of Brownfield developments and will adequately investigate any environmental risks. Firstly they will undertake a desk top review of the proposed site by gathering all historical information available. This may relate to former quarrying or landfill in the area. Secondly they will prepare an environmental assessment report. Contained within this report will be the results from extensive testing for hazardous compounds within the soil, ground water and surface water. If the findings of the report are positive and support redevelopment on the site, the next step is remediation and elimination of hazardous materials. 2.4 Remediation / Elimination of Hazardous Materials Now that the various hazardous materials have been identified, it is time to categorize and divide them so that they can be safely disposed of. This is whats known as remediation. The demolition of the building itself should be the final step when clearing the site. Initially the building should be stripped down with careful consideration given to how each material is classed and whether it can be recycled or disposed of. This includes all loose material, fixtures, fittings, windows, doors, heating and electrical systems and roofing. Once this has been categorized and divided all that should be left is the building skeleton and foundations for safe demolition Up until a few years ago remediation of Brownfield sites was an expensive process. However, recent new remediation technologies have emerged and are cheaper than the more traditional methods. They include: Bioremediation This utilises the natural processes of indigenous bacteria, microorganisms, plants, enzymes and fungi to destroy or neutralise toxins and contaminants. Phytoremediation This process uses plants. The can store contaminants in their leaves and stems (bioaccumulation). Some contaminants such as heavy metals can be harvested and mined for reuse (phytomining). In-Situ Chemical Oxidation This process injects oxygen or chemical oxidants into the contaminated soil or water to destroy harmful compounds. 2.5 Recycling Masonry Rubble With a project like this there is serious demand for concrete / asphalt and pavements around the development. Fortunately with the demolition of the existing derelict masonry building, a lot of the requirements can be met using recycled masonry rubble from the existing building. When using recycled masonry rubble from demolitions such as this it is important to ensure that the rubble is free from contaminants. Once this is done, the rubble is then graded into aggregates. This is a simple process that involves sieve like machines that vibrate, separating the various sized aggregates and compiling them with aggregate material of similar sizes. The aggregates can then be used in various locations around the site depending on their size and classification. It is important to note that the quality of recycled masonry rubble meets the requirement for use in constructing roads. Strenuous testing and categorizing is required on the aggregates that are intended for concrete use within the building in order to ensure the consistency is sufficient. Lightweight aggregate does not meet requirements for use as a secondary concrete aggregate as the majority of masonry materials are too soft and will adversely affect the strength of concrete products. 2.6 Access Roads and Pavements The existing building will have a number of access roads already in place. These roads will have to be excavated and in keeping with the sustainable design of the proposed building and use of recycle materials in the new build it is only fitting that the excavated asphalt should also be recycled and form part of the new access roads and pavements around the site. The manufacture of asphalt it a very energy expensive process as the materials involved must be heated to very high temperatures in order to mix together. Therefore, the use of recycled asphalt for road toppings around the site will have a cost benefit to the project as well as a positive impact on the environment. 3.0 Proposed Sports Centre Complex The proposed sports centre will be built using low embodied, recycled materials where possible paying particular attention to the energy performance of the building. The building design will take passive solar heating into consideration with cleverly positioned windows and landscaping throughout the site providing adequate shelter from the elements during the winter months. Sourcing materials locally cuts down on transport costs over large distances. This automatically reduces carbon emissions and also supports the local industry ensuring jobs and community growth. This will be a key component in the sustainable building of the proposed sports centre. 3.1 Foundations The best foundation for the proposed sports centre is a raft foundation. Due to the size and scale of the proposed build a raft foundation will allow the weight of the building to be transferred to the ground over a greater area and also provide a level surface for which to build upon. It is important that there is adequate steel reinforcement in the concrete to combat ground movement. When the recycled masonry rubble is graded into aggregates, some of these aggregates will be suitable for use in the concrete raft foundation. Recycled concrete aggregates can replace up to 20% of virgin aggregate in concrete within the provisions set out in BS 8500-2. 3.2 Structural Framing / Building Skeleton The most efficient way to build the proposed sports centre building is using a steel framed construction. The steel structure would meet the spatial requirements of the main sports hall, high ceilings with long spans and column free space to accommodate an indoor football pitch or basketball court. Recycled steel would be appropriate here as steel can be used countless times with no negative affects to its strength or performance. 3.3 Wall Build-Up Once the foundations and steel structure are in place it is time to think about the external wall build up. Given the intended use of the sports hall it is important to use a material that will not only be sustainable in its construction and hard wearing but also have an acoustic quality as the noise generated within the sports hall when its occupied will be of an elevated nature and could disrupt the surrounding public. There is a wide array of products available such as concrete blocks with 50% coarse aggregates replaced with plastic while still providing adequate strenght but all things considered, I would suggest an aerated concrete block. These are among the most environmentally friendly building products available. They are formed from recycled materials. One of which is Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA), this is an unavoidable by-product of the coal-fired power generation process which is normally stockpiled in huge unsightly mounds or is dumped at sea. Further enhancing the sustainability of this product is the fact that no material goes to waste, anything left over when a batch is made automatically goes into the next mix. Also due to the lightweight of the material, more can be loaded onto a single lorry reducing the CO2 emissions produced in transport and speeding up construction. The cavity should be 100mm partially filled with natural wool insulation or a similar approved natural insulation or recycled insulation system. The external face of the building should be clad with recycled bricks tied back to the internal leaf with acoustically approved wall ties. 3.4 Floor Build-Up Each area of the sports centre will require a different finish depending on the proposed use. The reception for instance will need to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere, this can be achieved using carpet. Recycled carpet is available, this is formed from recycled material such as plastic, wool, cotton or nylon and laid on a recycled rubber underlay. The rubber could be derived from any scrap tyres remaining on the site from the truck repair shop. The changing rooms will require a hard floor which is impervious to water. Many green options are available such as recycled ceramic floor tiles and eco-friendly rubber floor tiles. A study should be undertaken of the business in the area in order to decide which material is easiest to obtain with the pursuit of sustainability in mind. If there is a quarry nearby it might be an idea to investigate stone as a possible material for the flooring in hard wearing areas. Stone has a natural, timeless beauty and a feeling of solid quality which is hard to match with any other type of material. Unfortunately due to the costs associated with stone it may not be a plausible material as it is by no means the cheapest type of flooring to install or maintain. The flooring in the sports hall is a specific type of flooring material. It has a number of functional requirements associated with it. It must be durable, smooth and slightly soft to prevent serious injury. An ideal surface therefore, would be a rubber based surface which can be formed from any scrap tyres found on the site. This is a cost beneficial process as it is a sustainable use for the waste rubber meaning it is not necessary to pay for the safe disposal of the unused tyres. The recycled rubber surface should then sit on some rigid insulation such as woodwool, mineral./rock wool or expanded or extruded polystyrene to increase the thermal performance. 3.5 Roof Construction For the proposed sport centre i would suggest a green roof. A Green Roof is a roof that has a vegetated covering planted over a waterproofing membrane. The roof consists of various layers, each with its own function. The various layers cater for drainage, moisture, root protection and filtering. Green roofs have many benefits over traditional or conventional roofs. They offer a longer roof life span, increased acoustic performance, improved thermal performance in the winter and heat shielding in the summer and as they are living organisms they retain and store 90% of rain and storm water and return it to the atmosphere by means of evaporation. 3.6 Energy Performance of the Building A key feature of this building is the excessive use of recycled and sustainable materials in the construction. This has a positive effect on the environment ensuring minimal CO2 emissions are generated in the manufacture of the materials. This is an admirable practice and it sends a clear message to developers that the use of recyclables can have beneficial implementations for both the project budget and also the environment. It is important to maintain this objective throughout the buildings lifetime. This can be done by implementing micro renewable technologies during the construction process. A building of this scale is often associated with large energy bills. With the prices of oil escalating and the UKs dependency on fossil fuels at a peak, it is vital that this building incorporates as many micro renewable technologies as possible in order to drive the running costs down to a manageable level. I would strongly suggest the use of solar photovoltaic cells (PV) and wind turbines to generate electricity along with wood fuelled boilers (biomass) connected to a central heating system as the most relevant micro generation technologies that a building of this nature could benefit from. 4.0 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems 4.1 Introduction to SUDS Sustainable urban drainage systems are a new environmentally friendly way of dealing with surface water run-off. Traditional drainage schemes lead to flooding, cause pollution and are generally more expensive to install. Surface water no longer has the opportunity to soak into the ground, instead it is collected in a network of pipes along with any contaminants such as oil, solid matter or toxic metals it may pick up along the way and it is discharged into the nearest rivers or streams. Sustainable urban drainage systems replicate natural drainage methods. Water run-off is collected and stored to allow natural cleaning to occur prior to infiltration or controlled release to watercourses. As a result they prevent pollution, control flooding, recharge ground water in the natural water table and enhance the environment. There are for main design options. These are: Filter Strips and Swales Filter Drains and Permeable Surfaces Infiltration Devices Basins and Ponds It is important to note that depending on the required performance of the sustainable urban drainage system, a combination of two or more design options may need to be incorporated in order to achieve a suitable drainage solution. 4.2 Filter Strips and Swales Filter strips and swales are vegetated surface features that drain water evenly off impermeable areas. Swales are long shallow channels whilst filter strips are gently sloping areas of ground. 4.3 Filter Drains and Permeable Surfaces Filter drains and permeable surfaces are devices that have a volume of permeable material below ground to store surface water. Water run-off flows to a storage area via a permeable surface such as gravelled paving areas or solid paving blocks with gaps between the individual units. When the water falls it passes through the surface to the permeable fill in the filter drain. This then allows the storage, treatment, transport and infiltration of the water resulting in clean uncontaminated water being returned to ground. 4.4 Infiltration Devices Infiltration devices drain water directly into the ground. They may be used either at source or alternatively the runoff can be conveyed in a pipe or swale to the infiltration area. They include soakaways, infiltration trenches and infiltration basins as well as swales, filter drains and ponds. Infiltration devices can be integrated into and form part of the landscaped areas. 4.5 Basins and Ponds Basins and ponds store water at the ground surface, either as temporary flooding of dry basins and flood plains, or permanent ponds. These structures can be designed to manage water quantity and quality. 4.6 Benefits of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems There are a number of benefits to installing a sustainable drainage system as opposed to a traditional / conventional system. For example the cost of connecting to storm sewers and public drains is avoided and maintenance is simple and cheap. Maintenance can be carried out by landscaping contractors without the need of skilled engineers and heavy machinery. When clean filtrated water is distributed back to the site it gives the natural vegetation a chance to thrive and can create a very pleasant environment for everyone to enjoy. 4.7 Proposed Sustainable Urban Drainage System A sports centre will require a number of hard surfaces to cater for car parking. I would suggest using solid paving blocks for the surface in the car parking areas. A gap must be left between each block allowing water to filter through to an under the surface storage drain which runs to a designated area such as a vegetated or green area. This rainfall run-off precaution must be implemented in the initial design stage. I would also suggest soak holes / soakaways around the site to filter any water collected in downpipes around the building. With the current climate that we live in it has to be expected that substantial rain will fall each year. As such, a well designed sustainable drainage system can minimise flooding and any inconvenience that may be caused during times of high rain fall. 5.0 Conclusion The aim of the brief for this report was to critically analyze and evaluate the possibilities of redevelopment on a brownfield site with the demolition of an existing derelict masonry industrial building and the construction of a new sports centre utilising as many of the recycled materials from the demolition as possible. I approached this project somewhat blind with my basic knowledge of brownfield redevelopment. After researching the topic further I discovered all the environmental benefits surrounding brownfield redevelopment. With the declining availability of greenfield sites and the growing need for housing and community growth, brownfield redevelopment has got to be at the top of the list where possible in order to preserve what natural areas are left. Furthermore building on brownfield sites removes unsightly and often dangerous derelict buildings and gives local areas a chance to regenerate and create a new image. Decontaminating brownfield sites in a specialised task but the removal of hazardous materials makes it a safer environment for all concerned. Luckily new techniques for remediation of contaminated sites have made it cheaper. This can be appetising for potential developers looking to expand their property portfolio and as a result it can have a knock on effect within a community generating jobs and business for local trade. The brief stated that materials from the demolition of the existing masonry industrial building must be recycled and used in the construction of the new sport centre. When the list of materials that could be recycled in the existing building was broken down, it was found that almost everything could contribute in some way to the new build. This impacts on the budget for the project and in keeping with the UKs carbon emission reduction targets subsequently cuts down on any CO2 emissions that would have been produced in the manufacture of virgin material. The use of micro-technologies would fit in well with the overall idea of a sports centre as in my opinion a sports centre implies health and wellbeing which can be related back to the terms clean and green energy associated with these methods and the environment. The implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems permits the safe return of clean irrigated water back to the soil. The benefits of cost and minimal maintenance alone speak for themselves. With four main design options available I feel it is important to include at least one system as a drainage solution on sites such as this within small towns in order to preserve the local wildlife and allow vegetation to thrive free from water pollution. All in all i feel that this project were it to be undertake would be very feasible. Most of the costs for would come from decontaminating the site. The build itself would prove to be cheaper with recycled materials already available on-site and given the nature of the proposed sports centre I would not foresee any issues with the local community as it will provide a safe location for children and adults alike to hang out. The sustainable nature of the proposed build also indicates that this building is embracing plans to move forward into a greener future and it may set a precedent for future green development within the area. 6.0 References Brown, G., (24th September 2007). Gordon Browns First Speech to the Labour Conference as Party Leader. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7010664.stm [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Biomass. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/biomass/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Ground Source Heat Pumps. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/ground/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Solar PV. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/solarpv/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Solar Hot Water. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/solartherm/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Small Scale Hydro. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/hydro/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department of Energy and Climate Change. Low Carbon Building Program, Wind Turbines. Available from: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/micro/wind/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The Environment Waste and Recycling What Happens to Waste Construction Waste. Available from: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/construction/ [Accessed xx September 2009] Kelly, R., (13th September 2006). Zero-Carbon Homes Plan Unveiled. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6176229.stm [Accessed xx September 2009] Lomas, J., (13th December 2007). Public Service Review: Transport, Local Government and The Regions Issue 11. Creating Zero-Carbon Communities. Available from: http://www.publicservice.co.uk/article.asp?publication=Transport,%20Local%20Government%20and%20the%20Regionsid=293content_name=Social%20Housing%20and%20Construction%20incorporating%20The%20Carbon%20Challengearticle=8879 [Accessed xx September 2009] Lomas, J., (13th December 2007). Public Service Review: Central Government Issue 15. Meeting the Challenge. Available from: http://www.publicservice.co.uk/article.asp?publication=Central%20Governmentid=287content_name=Sustainable%20Housing%20and%20Regenerationarticle=8680 [Accessed xx September 2009] New Forest Transition, (October 2009). Interesting in Generating Your Own Energy?. Available from: http://www.newforesttransition.org/index.php?/archives/2009/10/12.html [Accessed xx September 2009] Sheffield City Council. Sustainable Housing Code For Sustainable Homes. Available from: http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/?pgid=67894fs=b [Accessed xx September 2009] Sustainable Build. Types of Construction, Wood Frame Construction. Available from: http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ConstructionWoodFrame.html [Accessed xx September 2009]

Literature During the Naturalistic Period :: Literature Essays Litarary Analysis

Literature During the Naturalistic Period What is the one struggle that all human beings have in common? It is life itself. As important as humans think they are, in the scheme of reality, the human race is not that significant. During the late eighteenth century and the earlier nineteenth century, authors such as Émile Zola, Jack London, and Stephen Crane and poets such as Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens were struggling with leaving behind traditional attitudes and finding a new philosophy of life. These writers, along with many others, are known for writing during the Naturalistic time period. Literature of Naturalism, just as all literature does, reflects the attitudes and events happening during this time. The world was changing in many more ways than ever before. Traditional unquestioned beliefs had fallen by the wayside because of many factors but especially with the introduction of Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species. Darwin's view that humans evolved and were not created by some Supreme Being startled societ y, especially the religious community. For the first time, society began to question the mainstay of their religious beliefs. In the economic realm, Karl Marx was expounding his view of socialism. Economic factors had a profound effect on the people of this time as well. The industrialization and the urbanization that were occurring were forcing changes on every front of life. Along with the scientific and social advancements of the world at this time, psychology was breaking ground to become an important science of its own. Freud with his view of why people act the way they do and Jung with his thoughts on the collective unconscious were offering new thought and insight about human behavior. However, with the removing of the old beliefs that gave humans a sense of direction and order in their lives, the search, which often included the loss of oneself, needed to be embarked upon so that people of this era could find some sort of direction in the new world of knowledge and confusion. Never before or since this time has there been such a wandering in the desert of uncertainty. Therefore, it is quite natural that the authors of this period reflect all of the turmoil created by the amount of knowledge that was being shared and that was trying to be comprehended. Authors of this time were at the forefront of this investigation. Naturalistic writers tend to write in a somewhat scientific method because their characters are placed in a situation where the forces of nature or the environment are imposed upon them.

Is Pornography Good? :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Is Pornography Good?    Pornography is the theory, Rape is the fact. Robin Morgan, editor of the famous feminist magazine Ms., was quoted as saying this thought provoking statement. This really makes one stop and think. How closely related are pornography and rape, or any violent act for that matter? Many surveys and research studies have been done to answer just that. But the findings have been highly debatable. On one hand, you have people who feel that there is no correlation between the two, that pornography is used only for personal enjoyment, and it stops there. Then you have the feminist viewpoint which totally disagrees. Two well known feminists, Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin have their own view and definition on pornography.    à ¾....Pornography is the graphic sexually explicit subordination of women, whether in pictures or in words, that also includes one or more of the following: (i) Women are presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; or (ii) women are presented as sexual objects who enjoy pain or mutilation; or (iii) women are presented as sexual objects who experience sexual pleasure in being raped; or (iv) women are presented as sexual objects tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt; or (v) women are presented in postures of sexual submission, servility, or display; or (vi) womens body parts - including but not limited to vaginas, breasts, and buttocks- are exhibited ,such that women are reduced to those parts; or (vii) women are presented by whores by nature; or (viii) women are presented being penetrated by objects or animals; or (ix) women are presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding, bruised, or hurt in a context that ,makes these conditions sexual. à ¾    Pornography is further defined as including à ¾the use of men, children, and transsexuals in the place of women.à ¾ It is also said somewhat cryptically that à ¾the definition does not include all sexually explicit depictions of the subordination of women. Now that we have a greater understanding at the true meaning of pornography, we should look at the radical feminist view on the harm that pornography can cause. Once again the highly acclaimed feminist lawyer Catharine MacKinnon says:    à ¾If pornography is an act of male supremacy, its harm is the harm of male supremacy made difficult to see because of its pervasiveness, potency, and success in making the world a pornographic place.

a building that I love Essay -- Free Essay Writer

My family lives in a detached house located in a cosy suburban neighbourhood in Vantaa. The building stands on a modest hill surrounded by mostly detached, but also by semi-detached and terraced houses. The altitude provides us with a magnificent view over a nearby valley and makes our own house look massive and very impressive indeed – almost monumental. We have a spacious garden and a private driveway. Judging by these facts you might think that our home is just another catalogue house of a fairly wealthy middleclass family. The building has, however, gone through various, more or less painful phases before eventually reaching its current unconventional structure. The house was originally a wooden cottage with no modern facilities whatsoever and a muddy yard serving as a paddock for pigs and sheep. My parents were looking for a suitable detached house to buy, saw this tiny cottage and fell in love with it instantly. Whatever possessed them, I do not know. Perhaps they were amazed by the fact that such idyllic smallholdings (or more accurately horrible dumps) could actually be found in a mere 25km radius from the centre of Helsinki. My own theory is that both of them, in some strangely twisted way, saw the cottage as a challenging and interesting adventure instead of a livelong working camp which it ultimately turned out to be. This was fifteen years ago and we are still renovating. My parents decided to expand the cottage by building a separate house next to it. Being a ...

What is The Effect of Sociological Factors to Artist Life

A French philosopher and writer, Pierre Bourdieu ( Bourdieu et al. 1990) claims that sociological factors such as education, family background, cultural development of an individual as well as one†s belonging to a specific social class, plays a vital part in interpretation and participation in the Arts. In order to evaluate this argument and make any logical conclusions, it must therefore be examined through evidence which in this case will be referring to an Australian artist, Robert Klippel. Every artist†s career has a ‘shape† or a development which tends to be greatly affected by sociological factors which influence the life of that artist†. (Hughes 1964: 2). Robert Klippel†s career ‘shape† was also a subject to formation which was promoted by factors such as education, family upbringing and background as well as the outer and inner environments which affected the life development of the artist. It is thus essential to consider these factors as they influenced and formatted Klippel†s artistic vocation and career. Robert Klippel was born in Sydney, 19 of June 1920, in a middle class family and became the econd in a family of three sons. His father had emigrated from Poland in 1904 and ran a successful business importing and distributing clothing and textiles. His mother, of English background, had been brought up in ‘English fashion†, educated well and expected to devote herself to marriage and the family. Klippel†s father attended university where he studied philosophy and took an Art theory course. During university years, he developed an interest in the Arts. From time to time he would visit an Art gallery or buy an expensive classical painting. Robert Klippel†s, mother had a passion for classical music and would often visit the opera. However, at that time Robert Klippel had little interest in education in the Arts and was not affected by the artistic family environment around him. Although, Klippel†s parents were educated well, Robert Klippel and his brothers were not encouraged to learn or participate in the arts as Klippel†s parents thought that their children should go ‘their own ways†, it could even be said that they were brought up by the ‘a light hand†- always given opportunities to make their own choices and decisions in life. When referring back to Bourdieu and his argument, it could be argued that even though Klippel†s parents were educated well and may have had a reasonable understanding of the arts, they would not be one â€Å"of refined classification† and certainly would â€Å"lack a mastered degree of artistic competence†(Bourdieu et al. 1990:42) as they could not fully value the importance of education and pass on to their children. However this idea may not apply in this case, as Robert Klippel himself was not affected by his family†s level of education and from the yearly years led an independent lifestyle. Particularly during his youth, Klippel had little interest in any sort of education and with little direction from his parents, he preferred to work on the mill, spent little time doing his school work and became used to fail many examinations. At one time, Klippel even thought that his life was doomed to be a ‘failure†. Klippel†s family was quite financially stable and all the three sons attended secondary school including Klippel himself, who had a careless approach towards education and found that it was not for him. In fact he did not receive any art education or learn much of what he later became interested in. He describes his school years being: ‘uneventful and a waste of time†(Gleeson 1983 :4). However it was during his early schoo years that Klipple developed a passion for sculpture. Robert Klippel†s early life was mostly spent around Sydney Harbour where lived and first became fascinated with ships and boat models. As a young boy, Klippel began making miniature model ships that he often saw on the harbour or in books. An obsessive commitment to model making lasted almost eighteen years which later led to becoming a sculptor. Klippel entered the navy during WWII, where he obtained a job as a model maker. Between 1943 and 1945 he produced many military vessels and aircraft models. The skills developed during this period were vital for Klippel as a sculptor; â€Å"he gained knowledge of volume, mass, proportion and structural detail†(Scarlett 1980: 9). Above all, he acquired a strong desire to find out how things worked which further helped him with his creative process. Klippel obtained some practical skills to be used in his artworks but when referring back to Bourdieu, he had no knowledge of ‘artistic principles† or understanding of theoretical Arts and thus had no ‘means of appropriating works of art†. This also reflected that Klippel had a lack of artistic ideas and inspirations to produce his works although he had a strong desire to make sculptures. â€Å"At twenty-four Klippel was still largely unconcerned with the difference between art and craft: he simply did not care about it and had never visited a gallery†(Hughes 1964:12) Klippel was not exposed to any higher education and he finished high-school with poor grades as he spent most of the time working with wool. He took a wool classing course in 1937 with the support of his father who thought that Klippel would be working with wool as he did not see any other pportunities for his son. However, Klippel himself decided to no longer work with wool and to devote more time to his sculptures as he discovered his passion for Art. The year of 1943 became a turning point for Klippel, as he met a friend Pam Broad, who was a poet and an intellectual, and encouraged Klippel to take up a wood-carving course which taught him how to develop his own designs and models. Pam Broad was appreciative of Klippel†s skill but criticised his lack of originality and knowledge of art. Klippel realised that in order to become a sculptor he would eed to have certain knowledge of the Arts and Pam Broad introduced him to literature, poetry and art as abstract, which Klippel became later involved in. Robert Klippel gradually began to gain artistic appreciation and knowledge of Art and he also found the critical difference between art and craft. Klippel realised that he could now interpret and produce artworks and meanings in ways that before were unknown to him and as Bourdieu states: â€Å"interpretation†¦ is always constituted by the learning ability †¦ in other words discovering meaning using our literary knowledge† (Bourdieu et al. 1990). Klippel put aside his models and began to read and study art books to gain knowledge about art. Pam Broad introduced him to the work of Brzeska, and he read books on Henry Moore and Roger Fly; â€Å"The intellectual discovery of art as a creative pursuit awakened a passion he hardly knew existed†(Watters Gallery 1970:3). By 1945 Klippel has decided that art would be his vocation and that he would become a sculptor. In 1946 he enrolled full time at the East Sydney Technical College to study antique drawing, life modelling and sculpture. During this time Klippel became inspired by nature which became a source of ideas for the sculptor and he noted n his diary that: â€Å"Thinking a lot about nature and its workings, I believe and artist should, when creating, undergo a similar process which occurs when nature creates†(Gleeson1983:4). Although not having received ‘complete† education, Robert Klippel was able to use his skills to produce his models and he found that the knowledge he received himself and with the help of others was extremely useful for his art creation. Referring back to Bourdiue, who stressed the importance of learning and defined the idea of education as â€Å"having a complex code†, which refers to sophistication and ability to distinguish a ork of art in a more refined way, it could be noted that Klippel has gradually achieved this ability through self-education and continuos learning throughout his career. However here the theory of sophistication, family education could not apply as Klippel did not achieve high level of education and obtained valuable qualifications but instead gained self-knowledge which was not perhaps one of ‘fine refinement† but which provided him with a stable base to develop his career. It could be considered that Bourdieu†s theory of education does apply to those with a enuine interest in the Arts and to those who wish to gain precise knowledge of the Arts. Klippel himself realised that his self-discovery of new visions and ideas as well as artistic knowledge helped him with his artistic development. Klippel further developed an interest in abstract art and decided to move to London where he commenced his studies at Slade School of Art. Here he developed his skills as a draftsman, â€Å"which he felt were sorely lacking† (Sturgeon 1978:15). For six months at the Slade School Klippel led a double life. On one hand, he did his formal studies, which he â€Å"hated and found rrelevant† (Scarlett 1980:6), on the other hand, he pursued an independent self-development course in which he concentrated on studying abstract art derived from nature. Learning in Klippel†s opinion was not always a constant necessity and brought use to his work, unlike Bourdieu claims that learning at school and university is essential to develop not only the knowledge but also have access to ‘appropriate culture†. Klippel disregarded culture and education as a means of achieving success but to him art was about self-expression combined with the required artistic knowledge. In 1945 Klippel has constructed the largest and most important of his sculptures and since then he decided to work alone and to no longer have a formal education. An Australian surrealist painter, James Gleeson became a vital individual who influenced Klippel†s career development, he encouraged Klippel to leave Slade School and to work on his own. Gleeson introduced Klippel to surrealism and organised Klippel†s first exhibition in London which they shared together. Klippel found that he had developed an obsession to make art that stemmed from his own life and reflected the world around him as he wrote: â€Å"The artist can show a new world, if he ees and feels enough†( Hughes1964:9). During this period Klippel became financially unstable as the support coming from his father was at an end, as Klippel†s father strongly believed that his children should be able to support themselves in their adult life. Klippel went through a particularly difficult psychological period feeling unstable both emotionally and financially when he could not sell any of his sculptures. Klippel†s works were often rejected as they often classified as ‘self-reflection works† which often reflected the emotional and problematic side of the artist. Klippel was also under pressure from his family, particularly his brothers who had a successful wool business and who financially aided Klippel as he could not provide for himself. Klippel travelled to Paris in hope of selling his works and spent a few months there creating more sculptures relating to nature. He found a studio where he worked and was able to diverse the scope of his ideas so that his works would have a wider meaning and perhaps more people could find appreciation in his works. While living in Paris, Robert Klippel married an American artist, Nina Mermey and decided to travel to New York with her, which he later realised was wasted time† as he could not find any workshops or studios to work in. Again here he was bound to make money on his work but not having achieved that Klippel returned to Sydney. Klippel†s path here was now open to any direction and James Gleeson introduced him to a more comprehensive surrealism which Klippel wished to explore. He re-married in Sydney and in 1966 he established his first workshop. For the first time, his works became appreciated by a large number of artists and art critics. The financial situation became better as some of Klippel†s sculptures were sold. With James Gleeson, another exhibition was held which presented painted landscape by Gleeson occupied by Klippel†s metal objects, it achieved a wide recognition by many fellow artists and the public for the first time. Robert Klippel had many more exhibitions and finally achieved the success he has been striving for since youth. However when looking back at Bourdieu and his theories, it is worth to consider the effect class and position in society had on the artists overall recognition. Bourdieu associates upper class as having â€Å"good taste† as those from higher classes usually relate themselves with an academic institution† and may relate to the Arts, rather then those from lower classes tend to have little or no understanding of Art and in conclusion have no taste, he also relates class to culture, the higher the class the more cultured an individual could be. This view can partially describe Robert Klippel†s life as he comes from a well educated and culturally developed family but not belonging to an ‘academic institution† as described by Bourdieu. Klippel was fairly distant from any art education during his youth and did not attend university while he did poorly at school. Perhaps the lack of direction from his parents and lack of his desire for education resulted in some instability experienced later in his life. Perhaps as a result of that, Klippel had trouble finding a place in the society as an artist as he often felt ‘out of place† with his artistic ideas which for a long period of time received no appreciation. According to Bourdieu, Klippel†s art and his life would be a result of his family social position and cultural atmosphere as well as his own academic achievements. It could be agreed that these factors have had an influence on the artist†s life to some extent. Klippel had few minor cademic achievements compared to his brothers and mostly spent time doing agricultural work. Klippel†s parents exposed their children to art and classical music as they thought that right cultural upbringing was essential to achieve social recognition and success, however, they saw that Robert Klippel had little interest in education and had no hope for him to achieve any academic success, so they allowed him to work on the mill and later with wool. This family upbringing affected Klippel†s life and resulted in his struggle to achieve success and later Klippel himself understood the importance of education and cultural upbringing to achieve Robert Klippel once said that: â€Å"true art arises from inner spiritual necessity and an ability to follow one†s own convictions†. Robert Klippel is known today as one of Australia†s leading assemblage sculptors, he has created an innovative and extensive body of three-dimensional works over a fifty year period. For a long of time, Klippel was not recognised as an artist and he underwent a difficult psychological period throughout the development of his career. However, gradually, Klippel began to understand the influence various sociological factors had on his life. He resumed his studies of Art, tried to market his own works to gain finance and finally became aware of what ‘it takes† to achieve success and recognition. One therefore, after examining the career of the artist, can never wonder as to why so many of Robert Klippel†s works are often a reflection of his own life and his long struggle to overcome the many barriers that he faced as Thus, in conclusion it would be faire to agree with Bourdieu†s views that sociological factors such family background, education, class and social position, have an influence on one†s interpretation and participation in the Arts.

Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo about twenty locks before he could open the door, and even then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place. â€Å"Yes?† he asked suspiciously. I put on my business face. â€Å"I'm Odile. Lara set up our appointment?† He studied me. â€Å"You're younger than I thought you'd be.† A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he ushered me inside. I glanced around as I entered, taking in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers – and a definite lack of light. â€Å"Kind of dark in here.† â€Å"Can't open the blinds,† he explained. â€Å"You never know who'll be watching.† â€Å"Oh. Well. What about the lights?† He shook his head. â€Å"You'd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. It's what's making cancer run rampant in our society.† â€Å"Oh.† We sat at his kitchen table, and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time concealing my skepticism. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of, but I was starting to pick up on Lara's â€Å"schizo† vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply have been a figment of his imagination. â€Å"This is her.† He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. â€Å"Taken just before the abduction.† â€Å"She's cute. And young. Does she†¦did she†¦live with you?† He nodded. â€Å"Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. â€Å"Our dad was always off on some business trip, and our mom kept sleeping around on him. So it's always just sort of been Jasmine and me.† â€Å"And what makes you think she was taken by gen – fairies?† â€Å"The timing,† he explained. â€Å"It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. That's one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.† He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to roll my eyes as he rambled. I didn't really need a layman explaining remedial information to me. â€Å"Yeah, I know all that. But a lot of scary people – humans – roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I don't suppose you reported it to the police?† â€Å"I did. They weren't able to turn up anything, not that I really needed them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she disappeared. That was what made me know fairies did it.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"This one park. She was at a party with some kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they saw her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this clearing, and then they just stopped. And you know what was there?† He gave me a dramatic look, evidently ready to impress me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. â€Å"A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.† â€Å"It happens. Flowers do that.† He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. â€Å"You don't believe me!† I worked hard to keep my face as blank as a new canvas. You could have painted a picture on it. â€Å"It's not that I don't believe what you're describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could have been abducted by any number of things – or people.† â€Å"They said you were the best,† he told me, like it was some kind of argument. â€Å"They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. You're the real deal.† â€Å"What I can or can't do isn't relevant. I need to make sure we're on the right track. You're asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It's dangerous.† Wil sat back down, face desperate. â€Å"Look, I'll do anything at all. I can't let her stay there with those – with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you want.† I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. â€Å"Uh†¦what exactly do you do for a living?† â€Å"I run a blog.† I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn't get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on†¦well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I'd watch reality television. He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didn't I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? I'd vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me? It was actually because of the keres, I realized. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldn't erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentry's plaything. Because that's what she would be, though I'd never tell Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot. â€Å"Can you take me to the park she disappeared from?† I asked at last. â€Å"I'll get a better sense if fairies really were involved.† Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasn't going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He spent the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a cave and finally emerged into the light. â€Å"Skin cancer's on the rise,† he explained. â€Å"Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of protection – especially here.† That I actually agreed with. â€Å"Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.† He eyed my light tan askance. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, hey, it's Arizona. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I walk to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.† â€Å"‘Try,'† he scoffed. â€Å"Does it protect against UVB rays?† â€Å"Um, I don't know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.† â€Å"Not good enough. Most sunscreens will protect from UVA rays only. But even if you don't burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.† â€Å"Oh.† I hoped we got to the park soon. When we'd almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didn't think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously. â€Å"I always hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.† I again schooled myself to neutrality. â€Å"Well†¦it's been awhile since our last earthquake around here.† Yeah. Like, never. â€Å"You just never know,† he warned ominously. Our arrival couldn't have come a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someone's idiotic attempt to defy the laws of southern Arizona's climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmine's abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one. â€Å"Who knew?† I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasn't a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. But on a sabbat like Samhain†¦well, this place could very well be an open doorway. I'd have to let Roland know so we could check it when the next sabbat rolled around. â€Å"Well?† Wil asked. â€Å"This is a hot spot,† I admitted, trying to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand. â€Å"Will you help me then?† â€Å"Like I said, this really isn't my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. It's as big as ours.† â€Å"She's being held by a king named Aeson.† I spun around from where I'd been staring at the crossroads. â€Å"How the hell do you know that?† â€Å"A sprite told me.† â€Å"A sprite.† â€Å"Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran away and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.† â€Å"Sold it?† â€Å"He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.† It sounded ludicrous, but it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of crazy people who wanted to live in Scottsdale. â€Å"When did this happen?† â€Å"Oh, a few days ago.† He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy. â€Å"So. You were seriously approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?† Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen he'd missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. â€Å"Well, I'd already known she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.† I studied Wil. If he hadn't seemed so hapless, I almost wouldn't have believed any of this. But it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. â€Å"What did he call me?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"When he told you about me. What name did he give you?† â€Å"Well†¦your name. Odile. But there was something else too†¦Eunice?† â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Yeah, that was it.† I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites weren't really known for being criminal masterminds. If I'd killed his cousin, I suppose he might hope some other motivated creature would take me down. â€Å"So what? Are you going to help me now?† â€Å"I don't know. I've got to think on it, check up on some stuff.† â€Å"But – but I've shown you and told you everything! Don't you see how real this is? You have to help me! She's only fifteen, for God's sake.† â€Å"Wil,† I said calmly, â€Å"I believe you. But it's not that simple.† I meant it. It wasn't so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldn't cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed. â€Å"You have to – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I snapped, and this time my voice wasn't so neutral. â€Å"I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and take my own jobs. Now, I'm very sorry about your sister, but I'm not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I don't generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, it'll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I don't take it, then I don't take it. End of story. Got it?† He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we both wanted it. On the way home, I swung by my mom's place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didn't see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talked shop. He sat at the table working on a model airplane. I'd laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasn't so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff I'd find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling I'd make a good candidate for cross-stitching. His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and he'd managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadn't lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage. Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. â€Å"You're not here to ask about Idaho.† I hadn't really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever. Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didn't love many people in this world – or any other – but him I would have died for. â€Å"No. I'm not. But how was it anyway?† â€Å"Fine. It's not important. What's wrong?† I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected he'd still be out there fighting, right by my side. â€Å"Just got a job offer. A weird one.† I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence I'd found for her abduction. I also added in Wil's bit of information about this Aeson guy. â€Å"I've heard of him,† said Roland. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But he's strong, I know that much.† â€Å"This gets better and better.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Are you thinking about doing it?† I eyed him back. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"That's a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.† There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. I'd never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved. â€Å"She's just a kid, Roland.† â€Å"I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with taking women every year. Most don't ever get recovered. The danger's too high. That's the way it is.† I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. â€Å"Well, here's one we can get back. We know where she is.† He rubbed his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses; his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to – or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently. â€Å"This isn't a drop-in and drop-out thing,† he warned. â€Å"It'll take you right into the heart of their society. You've never been that deep. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"And you do?† I asked sarcastically. When he didn't answer, I felt my eyes widen. â€Å"When?† He waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"That doesn't matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, you'll get yourself killed or captured. I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You won't let me? Come on. You can't send me to my room anymore. Besides, I've gone over lots of times before.† â€Å"In spirit. Your total time over in body's probably been less than ten minutes.† He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. â€Å"The young never realize how foolish something is.† â€Å"And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs.† The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look. â€Å"You think you're stronger than me now?† I didn't even hesitate. â€Å"We both know I am.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you don't even know.† I stared at him in surprise. We weren't exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. He'd married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father I'd never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. They'd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didn't want to stick it out – not for her, not for me. Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could – except when it came to my job. When he'd realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, he'd started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple I'd ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. They'd stayed together in the end, but she'd never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasn't like one of those silly people in the movies who could â€Å"see dead people† and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect one's calling was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings. Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. I'd come here for strategy and ended up on the defensive. I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My mom's car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it. My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face – so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones – put on a smile as warm as Roland's. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a perpetual concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, she'd had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing. She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it. â€Å"You going to stay for dinner?† she asked. â€Å"I think you've lost weight.† â€Å"She has not,† said Roland. â€Å"She's too skinny,† complained my mom. â€Å"Not that I'd mind a little of that.† I smiled. My mom looked amazing. â€Å"You need to eat more,† she continued. â€Å"I eat, like, three candy bars a day. I'm not depriving myself of calories.† I walked over and poked her in the arm. â€Å"Watch it, you're being all momlike. Smart, professional moms aren't supposed to be that way.† She cut me a look. â€Å"I'm a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.† In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my mom's food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up. When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a beaded head wrap and buckskin vest. â€Å"Greetings, Sister Eugenie,† he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old West movie. â€Å"Join us. We're going to a concert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirit's gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred beat of the music course through our souls.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room. A moment later, he followed sans girls. â€Å"Oh, come on, Eug. It's gonna be a blast. We've got a cooler of beer and everything.† â€Å"Sorry, Tim. I don't really feel like being a squaw tonight.† â€Å"That's a derogatory term.† â€Å"I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesn't deserve much better.† I eyed him askance. â€Å"Don't even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules.† He flounced into my wicker chair. â€Å"So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?† I'd actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"Hey, I've got stuff to do.† â€Å"Fuck, Eugenie. You're becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.† I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend; we'd broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadn't expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadn't expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed? â€Å"Some things are worse than staying home alone,† I muttered. â€Å"Dean is one of them.† â€Å"Timothy?† one of the girls called from the living room. â€Å"Are you coming?† â€Å"One moment, gentle flower,† he hollered back. To me he said, â€Å"You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isn't really healthy to be away from people so much.† â€Å"I'm fine. Go enjoy your flowers.† He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as he'd predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten. Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Roland's quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything he'd told me had been true. Dropping this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to him†¦yet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasn't supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day. I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didn't want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification: I didn't want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind – warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. More important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonight I threw on some jeans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirt's V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.